For the first time in his NFL career, Smith is an unrestricted free agent coming into the offseason. When free agency rolls around, Smith might attract a lot of interest from teams other than the Cowboys because left tackles with Hall of Fame caliber don’t come up on the scene very often.
The main issue with Smith, though, is his history of injuries. Only 82 of the 131 games that No. 77 has been able to play since 2015 have been played while healthy, as Watkins notes in his article. For the first time since 2019, Smith played more than 12 games during the previous campaign.
Given how valuable a position left tackle is, can the Cowboys continue to accept that their left tackle cannot play the entire season? This is especially true when it comes to protecting their soon-to-be newly-paid quarterback.
Smith and the Cowboys coaching staff worked out a practice schedule that worked for everyone, even though they missed games in 2023. The week leading up to games, Smith would take extra rest to keep himself fresh for Sundays, when the left tackle appeared to have turned back time and put on some memorable performances. If Smith had to leave during practice, the backups would receive more practice if they had to enter the game.
Smith, 33, just finished a season in which he was named to the All-Pro second team and was ranked as the top offensive tackle for blocking passes (minimum 20 percent of snaps) by Pro Football Focus.
It makes sense that Smith would want to return to Dallas Cowboys. Smith has played for the Cowboys his entire career, so he knows the trainers and conditioning staff that will be necessary to keep him healthy. Additionally, there may be a chance that Smith will receive a home-town discount.
Mike McCarthy, the team’s head coach, was all praise for Smith’s 2023 season and how they were able to establish the right routine that allowed Smith to have his best year to date. The front office may be interested in selecting at pick No. 24 in the first round of the NFL Draft due to the abundance of talent at tackle available. Re-signing Smith to be their starting quarterback would be an excellent move because they’ve demonstrated a willingness to defend themselves before they are on the clock.
Is it possible for the Cowboys to re-sign Smith and select his likely successor in the first round? That is undoubtedly feasible. Might the front office also take a chance by letting Smith go and hope that draft weekend they find someone to replace him? That is also conceivable. Despite the prospective Hall of Famer’s desire to go back to Dallas, it appears that all possibilities are open to them.
